Closure construction for collapsible tubes



'May 14, 1940. H. s. HOGGATT CLOSURE CONSTRUCTION FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBESFiled Sept. 2, 1939 INVENTOR. HUTaEE EHUQEE TTORNEYS.

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Patented May 14, 1940 I CLOSURE CONSTRUCTION FOR v COLLAPSIBLE TUBESHorace S. Hoggatt, Richmond, Ind.

Application September 2, 1939, Serial No. 293,272

8 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in closure constructions forcollapsible tubes.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of a closureconstruction for collapsible tubes such as are adapted to receivetoothpaste, shaving cream, and the like, which is preferably an integraland permanent part of the tube, and adapted to normally assume a closedposition, but which upon pressure will open the tube to permit ofejection of a quantity of the contents of the tube. Y v A further objectof this invention is the provision of an improved closure constructionfor tubes, preferably collapsible tubes, which may or may not be of anintegral construction with the tube, but which is relatively simple innature, and of a practical construction, having no detachable partswhich may become displaced or lost, and which may with facility beoperated to dispense a quantity of the contents of the tube.

A further object of this invention is the provision, of an improvedclosure construction for collapsible tubes which does not include anydetachable cap parts, and preferably includes parts which may be apermanent part of the tube, operable in one hand of an operator topermit of instant ejection of a quantity of the contents of the tube,and which is of such nature as to automatically close the tube upon therelease of hand pressure upon the part of the operator.

A further object of this invention is the provision of an improvedcollapsible tube for receiving paste materials which embodies anintegral closure construction, and which may be manufactured atrelatively low cost, and operated with facility to eject a desiredquantity of the contents of the tube; the improved tube having astream-line appearance and having no detachable parts.

.-A further object of this invention is the provision of an improvedcollapsible tube which embodies a closure construction which may beoperated with facility by a person to eject a quantity of the contentsof the tube, and which closure construction is of such a nature as toautomatically close the openingupon release of hand pressure upon thepart of the operator, and which through such action will tend to drawany residual part of the contents of the tube, which may be around theopening, into the tube, and thus prevent collection of contents of thetube at the dispensing aperture.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from thefollowing detailed description, takenin connection with the accompanyingdrawing, forming a part of this specification and wherein similarreference characters designate corresponding parts throughout theseverel views: t Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved ube.

Figure 2 isa fragmentary cross-sectional view at the closure end ofthetube, showing the tube closed.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, but with the closureconstruction held in open position between the fingers of anoperator.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 44 ofFigure 2.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the closure end of the tube, showing thedispensing opening closed.

Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the closure features of theimproved tube.

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of 29 illustration is shown onlya preferred embodiment of the invention, the letter A may generallydesignate the improved tube which embodies an improved closureconstruction B.

The tube A may be of any collapsible material, such as ordinarily is,used for the reception of toothpaste, shaving cream, and the like; theimproved tube not being limited to the dispensing of such substances.The tube A is preferably collapsible at its normally closed end 20, andat the 30 opposite end the tube is stream-lined and provided with a.closure construction B, over which the material of the tube ispreferably fused or secured so as to hide the parts of the closureconstruction B, as are shown in Figure 6 of the drawing.

The closure construction B preferably consists of two pliant springsteel strips 25 and 26. The outer strip 25 includes the,downwardlydivergent leg portions 21 and 28 which are formed without aperturestherein, and preferably which are of rather tapering width;- taperingdiminishingly upward to the arcuate or bight portion 29 which joins saidlegs. This bight portion 29 is preferably provided with a rectangularshaped dispensing opening 30 therein. lhe material of this spring steelpiece 25 is of such nature that the legs 2'! and 28 normally tend toassume their downwardly divergent position notwithstanding parts of thetube to which this strip may be 2.1- fixed, nor the contents of thetube.

The inner steel spring strip 26 is secured within the strip 25. Itincludes a long leg portion 35 and a shorter leg portion 36. The portion35 may preferably be a plane, and at-its extreme e'ndjit is secured at31, as by welding or soldering, to the inside at the lower end of theleg 28 of the strip 25, as is shown in Figures 2 and 6 of the drawing.Therefrom the leg 35 extends at an acute angle upwardly and the arcuateor bight portion 4| to which the other leg 36 is connected is adapted tofit at the inside surface of the arcuate bight portion 29 of the steelpiece 25, as is shown in the drawing. The leg 36, while referred to assuch, is preferably -arcuated and adapted to move freely at the insidesurface of the strip 25along the inner surface of the leg 28 and theunder-surface of the arcuate bight portion 26. Of course the steelspring piece 26 normally tends to unfold, and thus it is maintained inclose frictional engagement-with the inside surface of the strip 25, inthe relation shown in the drawing. The leg portion 35 of the strip 26,inasmuch as it crosses. the ,outlet of the tube, is provided with anopening 40 through which the material of the tube may readily fiow,although this opening 40 is not the dispensing opening. The arcuate orbight portion 4| of the strip 26 has a dispensing opening 43 thereinwhich is normallyoutof alignment with the dispensing opening 30 of thestrip 25 when the strips 25 and 26 are expanded, as is shown in Figures2 and 6 of the drawing. This is their normal position, according to theinherent springiness of these strips. The opening 43 may,

however, be moved to align with the dispensing opening 30 merely bypressure at the free ends of the leg portions 21 and 28 of the strip 25;This action will force the arcuate bight end 40 of the strip or piece 26and the leg portion 36 thereof along the inside surfaces of the bightportion 29 and le 28 of the piece 25, to align the openings and permitdispensing of the contents of the tube, as is shown in Figure 3 of thedrawing. The end portions of the strip 26 may be less in width'than thelegs of the strip 25, inasmuch as the=latter is intended to maintain theproper shapeland positioning. of the collapsible end of the tube.

The pliant material -of .the tube proper may be fused or secured. alongthe outer surfaces of the legs and bightportion of the closure strip 25,as is shown in the drawing. Ofcourse the collapsible material of thistube will flex, along with the leg portions of the closure strip, as isquite evident from an inspection of Figures 2 and 3 of the drawing.

It is preferred to streamline the closure end of the tube, as shown inFigure l of the drawing,

and this is one reason for taperingthe width of the closure strips orpieces.

It is apparent from the foregoing that the collapsible tube closureconstruction will enable a facile operation of the tube; permittingejection of a desired amountof the contents of the tube merely bypressureof. the leg portions 2| and 28 of the closure [COIlStlllCtiOliend of the tube together. This action aligns the dispensing openings ofthe strips 25 and 26, and compels the dispensing'of the contents of thetube inasmuch as pressure of the fingers of the operator willrestrictthe capacity of the tube at the dispensing end thereof.

It is obvious that there are nodetachable cap parts of the tube. Theclosure action of the portions 25 and 26 of the closure construction isautomatic, and this action, tending as it does to expand the end of thetube, will withdraw any residue portions of the contents of the tubeinto the tube from the dispensing openingfas the latter is being closed;thus preventing the gathering of the contents of the tube around thedispensing opening and maintaining the tube in a sanitary and neatappearing condition.

It is preferred to provide rectangular open ings at thev dispensing endof the tube, although it is realized that other shaped openings may beprovided, and the end of the tube may be shaped other than that shown inthe drawing.

Various changes in the .shapefsize, and arrangement of parts may be madeto the form of invention herein shown and described, without 2. Aclosure arrangement for receptacles, such as collapsible tubes,comprising complementary slidable and flexible closure portions, one ofwhich at least inherently assumes a definite relation with respect tothe other, said parts having dispensingopenings therein normally out of.alignment when the said parts assume their normal position, and being inalignment when the said parts are flexed.

3. A-clOsure construction for collapsible tubes and the like comprisinga. U-shaped piece of spring material having leg portions and a bightportion, the bight portion having a dispensing opening therein, saidpiece tending to assume a definite position from which it may be flexed,and a. second part attached adjacent the outer end of one of the legs ofthe first mentioned piece and extending therefrom across the spacebetween said legs and having an arcuate portion complementary to thebight portion of the first mentioned closure piecev and having also adispensing opening therein adapted to align with the opening of thefirst mentioned piece only when the legs of the first mentioned piece.are brought together against the normal tendency of said first mentionedpiece to maintain said legs'in spread condition. v

4. In a. collapsible tube the. combination of a collapsible tube body,and, complementary spring actuated closure parts having'dispensingopenings therein, said closure parts being normally spring actuated tomaintain said'openings out of alignment and flexible under pressure toposition said openings in alignment when the tubeis squeezed at adesignated location, for dispensing materials therefrom.

5. In a fluid dispensing tubethe combination of a tube body,complementary relatively. movable closure parts having dispensingopenings therein, said closure parts both being spring actuated tonormally assume a. relative position with the'dis pensing openings outof alignment, the closure parts being so related to the tube that theymay be relatively moved to Dlacesaid openingsin' ings out of alignmentupon release of pressure.

connected to the collapsible tube body comprising a pair ofcomplementaryrelated resilient parts each having openings therein, said parts beingrelatively connected and having portions thereo! provided withdispensing openings therein which are relatively slidable so as to alignthe openings when pressure is applied so as to distort said closureportions against their inherent resilient tendency.

'7. A closure construction for collapsible tubes and the like comprisinga substantially U-shaped strip of spring material including leg portionsand a bight portion, the bight portion having a dispensing openingtherein, and a second strip of springy material having a part securedadja: cent the outer end of one of the legs of the first mentioned stripand extending therefrom diagonally across the space between the legs ofthe first mentioned strip and having a bight portion adapted to slidablyfitlat the inner side of the bight portion of the first mentioned strip,the bight portion of the second mentioned strip also having a dispensingopening therein out of alignment with the dispensing opening of thebight of the first mentioned strip when the first mentioned strip is innormal position, relative movement of the legs of the first mentionedstrip towards each other being adapted to move the bight portion of thesecond mentioned strip to align the openings of both of said bights.

8. A closure construction for collapsible tubes and the like comprisinga substantially U-shaped strip of spring material including leg portionsand a. bight portion, the bight portion having a dispensing openingtherein, and a second strip of springy material having a part securedadjacent the outer end of one of the legs of the first mentioned stripand extending therefrom diagonally across the space between the legs ofthe first mentioned strip and having a bight portion adapted to slidablyfit at the inner side of the bight portion of the first mentioned strip,the bight portion of the second mentioned strip also having a dispensingopening therein out of alignment with the dispensing opening of thebight o! the first mentioned strip when the first mentioned strip isinnormal position, relative movement of the legs oi the first mentionedstrip towards each other being adapted to move the bight portion of thesecond mentioned strip to align the openings of both of said bights, theleg of the second mentioned strip having an opening therethrough topermit free flow of ma- 86 terial to be dispensed at all times.

HORACE S. HOGGA'II.

